Bondi vows DOJ will target hate speech celebrating Kirk's killing

Attorney General Pam Bondi on Monday said the Justice Department would "absolutely" target people who use hate speech to celebrate the recent assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, a vow that sparked swift criticism and a partial rollback after widespread questions about its legal basis. Bondi made the remarks on a podcast hosted by Katie Miller and later said on social media she intended to refer only to hate speech that crosses into threats of violence or directly leads to political violence.

"We will absolutely target you, go after you, if you are targeting anyone with hate speech," Bondi said on the podcast. After backlash from commentators across the political spectrum, she clarified that "hate speech that crosses the line into threats of violence is NOT protected by the First Amendment. It is a crime," according to her follow up post.

Critics said Bondi's initial formulation blurred long-settled limits on government regulation of speech. Legal analysts and commentators pointed to Supreme Court precedent that has consistently held that offensive or hateful expression is protected unless it amounts to a true threat or incitement of imminent lawless action. The...